As usual, just when you think you know what the weather will do, it does something else. So, everything I wrote about last week hasn't come to fruition as all the snow melted off and didn't refreeze into a hard crust. On the bright side, it warmed up so much I got my flower bulbs planted after all. 

We are past the winter solstice now and the days will be getting longer from here on out. But we are still just at the beginning of winter and the news has been spreading of a bad cold and flu season. So here are some natural remedies that can help with those scratchy throats and irritating cough. Breathing in moist air helps loosen mucus, soothes airways, and eases dry cough and congestion. We heat our house with a wood pellet stove and because it is such a dry heat, we run two humidifiers in the house to keep some humidity in the air. Taking a long hot shower or running the shower while in the tub will also help to steam your sinuses. 

Warm fluids and herbal teas can have a variety of benefits. Sip hot herbal teas like peppermint as the menthol properties opens airways. Menthol relaxes bronchial muscles, making breathing feel easier and helping clear nasal passages and sinuses. Ginger tea is a warming, spicy herbal drink made from the root of the ginger plant. Its active compounds, gingerol and shogaol, give it potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and expectorant properties. Chamomile tea helps relax your body to aid getting a good night’s sleep, which is important to stay healthy. Its mild sedative action promotes relaxation and deeper sleep, which is crucial when illness disrupts rest and worsens cough at night. Chamomile tea also has anti-inflammatory properties reducing swelling in the throat and airways, calming dry, tickly coughs often caused by colds, allergies, or post-nasal drip. One tea that I haven't tried before is thyme tea which could be the most beneficial of them all. Thyme tea is a powerful expectorant which helps loosen and expel mucus from the lungs and airways, easing productive wet coughs and congestion from colds, bronchitis, or flu. Antispasmodic effects relax bronchial muscles, reducing dry, irritating coughs and whooping cough-like symptoms. Clinical studies support thyme's effectiveness for acute bronchitis and cough relief. Thymol and carvacrol (two of the many compounds in thyme) fight bacteria, viruses, and fungi which is helpful for respiratory infections. It's traditionally used for upper respiratory tract issues.

If teas aren't your thing, there are other ways to help build up your immune system to naturally combat cold and flu season. The foods we eat play a large role in building up your immunity. Probiotics found in many foods like yogurt help with overall wellness. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi have been shown to have beneficial properties. Pineapple can help reduce mucus with the compound bromelain that it contains. Raw honey has many benefits as it is packed with antioxidants, enzymes, and trace nutrients. But it has to be natural raw honey, not the pasteurized honey sold in the supermarkets. Pasteurized honey loses most of the benefits due to the heating. One safety note, honey should not be given to young children under the age of two. This safety note has been changed more recently to lower the age that honey can be used to children over the age of one, but I would check with your pediatrician before giving honey to children between one and two years old. 

Citrus fruits are always good to have in the winter with the high levels of vitamin C even though most of the real benefits have been attributed to psychosomatic effects. The bottom line is, get adequate sleep, steam yourself often and eat right to keep your immunity system at peak performance this winter season.